Tagged: RPG

This RPG was in development for quite some time now and it will probably take another year or two, but this game is something special for me – this game gave me hope for Linux commercial gaming.
It wasn’t the first commercial game I’ve seen for Linux off course, but at that time I was looking for a good RPG for Linux (except NWN ) and after several days of searching I’ve found this great RPG in development that gave me hope and boost to keep searching for great games.
At that time I hoped that this game would be released in several months at best, but unfortunately it takes longer then that – indies work slow

So if you already read my thread at Ubuntuforums about this game then there will probably be nothing new for you in this post, but for others…

The Broken Hourglass (TBH) is a professional RPG in the latest stages of development.
TBH is deeply inspired by the “Baldur’s Gate 2″ RPG game.
And making mods for TBH is very easy as the developers used to make mods for the Baldur’s gate 2 game.

Some things about TBH :
TBH promises to be a deep game with many ways to solve quests, and each way comes with consequences.
TBH is a party based RPG with 2d isometric graphics like fallout 1-2.
TBH offers relationships between party members and even romance.
TBH has many weapons and armor and items.
TBH has a unique magic system

The Broken Hourglass is a new cRPG in development for Windows, Macintosh, and Linux computers. You become an ordinary citizen of Mal Nassrin, fading star of the Tolmiran Empire, with an extraordinary purpose. The city is under siege by some unexplained and unidentified magical force–no one may enter or leave, and the city’s water supply has been reduced to a trickle. Caught in a devastating explosion which obliterates a large area of the city, you begin the game as a recuperating refugee caught up among an eager group of vigilantes and makeshift militiamen hoping to put the city to rights before complete chaos takes hold.

The Broken Hourglass takes place in the Tolmiran Empire, a world defined by political intrigue, economic decadence, and a disinterested pantheon. Mal Nassrin, long ago a wealthy independent city-state, is now just the nominal capital of a backwater province, the unfashionable Narimir region of Tolmira. Tens of thousands call Mal Nassrin home–but few boast of vacationing there.

You aren’t alone in The Broken Hourglass. Nine party-joinable characters and countless citizens stand ready to help (or hinder!) you in your quests. Some are lifelong residents of Mal Nassrin, while others are simply trapped by circumstance, looking for a way out. Each brings a unique skillset and outlook to your party, along with personality, byplay, and even the occasional flirtation.

To fully understand the deepness of this game you have to read the interviews.

I’ll start my first insight on Age Of the Decadence (AOD) which is a true deep RPG game in development by Iron Tower Studio (ITS).

The GNU/Linux client is still unconfirmed but there are excellent chances for this to happen :
1. They use the Torque Game Engine which is cross platform.
2. They are indies and not against Linux as big companies usually are.
3. They said they will try to make it possible and even found someone who could do the porting.
4. IF they couldn’t do it themselves then I’m sure that some external company or freelancer could do the porting (with ITS permission off course).

Why am I so exited about this game ?
Most of today’s RPGs are action based with pretty graphics.
But they are just not deep enough, doesn’t offer much choices and consequences and often have poor dialogs and options (dialog tree with consequences).
There are very few RPGs today that can live up to the legendary Fallout 1-2 games.
If AoD will live up to the developers promises it should be at least as deep as Fallout and offer replayability.

Although the main page on their website isn’t being updated much – their forums prosper !
There are a lot of excellent discussions on ITS about RPGs in general , AOD and other RPG’s in development.
I highly recommend every RPG developer and gamers who wish to know more about AOD to read their “Let’s Play AOD” thread.
ITS really listen to the community and change their game accordingly.

What AOD is all about ?

The Age of Decadence is an isometric, turn-based, single-player 3D role-playing game set in a low magic, post-apocalyptic fantasy world, inspired by the fall of the Roman Empire. The game features a detailed skill-based character system, non-linear gameplay, multiple skill-based ways to handle quests, choices & consequences, and extensive dialogue trees.

Each situation has multiple ways of handling it, based on your skills, reputation, and connections. Each way has consequences that will affect someone or something.

Extensive dialogue trees, written with role-playing in mind. You can use many skills in dialogues, take actions like stealing or sneak-attacking, and play your character with personality as you see fit.

An interesting world with rich history and unclear future that your actions can shape into seven very different game endings.

Hundreds of items, ranging from weapons and armor to scrolls, tools, flasks, and pre-war relics.

3D world created with Torque Game Engine, featuring detailed locations and almost 200 unique animations.

If AoD will sell well in the Linux community it will open up a door to other high quality RPG games that currently being developed under Iron Tower studio (ITS) wings and support – so when it’s out – be sure to buy it !